Individuals & Families

Missoula is where you live, work, and play.  You know your community and are committed to its health and vitality. We offer a variety of ways to give back and support the causes you feel passionate about.

Missoulians love their place and the Community Foundation is here to help you inform and amplify your giving. We can help you start a fund today, assist you with leaving a legacy gift through your estate, and offer local expertise in giving opportunities. 

We do not charge a fee to start a fund or leave a gift through your estate. We have a fee structure collected off your fund balance based on the amount and type of fund you hold with us. This fee is used to cover our staff time and investment fees, as well as support the wider work of the Community Foundation through grants and programs.

Your fund can be endowed, so that it grows sustainably over time and pays out grants annually, or, it can be set up as a shorter-term fund. 

You can take advantage of the Montana Endowment Tax Credit, by making a planned gift to a permanent endowment fund held with us. 

There are many options for opening a fund depending on your timeframe and area of interest. Whether you want to create a fund to support your families’ giving, take advantage of the Montana Endowment Tax Credit, or support your favorite nonprofit in perpetuity, we can help.

How to Get Started:
    • Now: Would you like to start your fund now, with a minimum gift of $15,000 to begin giving out grants? 
    • Near-term: Would you like to open your fund now and build it up over time to at least $15,000?
    • Later: Would you like to leave a gift through your will or estate plan that creates or increases your fund? You can find estate language here. We are here to simplify your planned giving! Please call us to set up a meeting to discuss your goals.

    • Would you like your fund to give to a specific or a few specific nonprofits? We suggest a Designated Fund or Charitable Gift Annuity.
    • Would you like your fund to give to a broader focus area, such as reducing income inequality or preserving farmland? A Field of Interest Fund is what would work best for you.
    • Would you – and/or your family – like to make decisions each year about where to direct your giving? We suggest a Donor Advised Fund. 
    • Would you like your fund to benefit students at a specific school or for a specific field of post-secondary study? Learn more about Scholarship Funds.
    • Would you like your fund to be flexibly used by the Community Foundation to meet emerging needs in the community? A gift to our Missoula Forever Fund will allow the foundation to address current and future needs of the community.

Gifts of cash, stock, IRA rollovers and distributions, life insurance, real estate, and more can be used to create and grow your fund. We accept gifts based on our gift acceptance policy and in some cases due diligence is required.

Do you want to take advantage of the Montana Endowment Tax Credit with your gift? A Planned Gift to a Permanent Endowment can qualify you for a 40% state tax credit. Creating a Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity (the Planned Gift) is easy, and then you can either designate an existing endowment or you can create your own.

Why you should give through the Missoula Community Foundation: